The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-02-26

trOm one OF the most extensive cat
tie ranges of the Inland Empire al
Oregonian reporter inquired how
the cattlemen amuse themselves a
this season, with snow on tn,
ground.
Just before 1 left" was the re
ply. "we had all been out 'bronc
hunting"
What kind Of luck did you
have?" asked the reporter. "Did
you kill many broncs?"
Kill broncs, why no, we did not
want to kill them, We only wanted
to cath them and brand them. Tn
in our section we call an unmarked
calf a bronze, which is short for
brOncho or an orahana.' Some
places they call them slick ears and
mavericks. 'Orahana is probably
corruption of the Spanish huer
fano, an Ophan. Among these
broncs We will find a few jug bel
lies"
"What are they?"
"A jug belly is a calf which has
lost or strayed from its mother be-
fore it was weaned. Being obliged
to stuff itself with grass to keep
alive, the little fellows stomach be-
comes abnormally distended, and
as his growth in other respects is
stunted: he assumes a shape which
causes him to be called a jug belly"
"But why do you go out hunting
these broncs and jug-bellies and
things at this time of year,"
"Partly for the fun of the thing
and partly to obtain the animals.
They being ownerless, the person
who gets his brand on them first
has them. There was nine in the
party was out with, and we had
lots of fun, and caught and brand
ed lot of broncs, and also several
calves, with silent marks
Il have heard of wounds which
spoke" said the interested repor-
ter. "but what is a silent mark?"
"A silent mark is one not used by
any one having cattle on that range
The animal bearing such a mark is
a stray, and has to be properly
branded so that some one can be
responsible for him."
"But how do you brand broncs
out on the snow covered range?
Do you carry a red-hot iron?"
"Oh that is easy enough. AS
soon as the bronze is caught the
brander jumps down from his horse,
touches match to a sage bush,
and by the time the bronze has been
roped by the head and laid out at
his length the iron is hot, and one
dab with it adds another animal to
your herd"
Sage brush must be queer stuff"
oh, the bush is a mass of fine,
dry limbs, and the leaves lie in a
pile under it. Touch a match to
hem and the whole goes off like
orch"
" Do you camp out in the snow?"
oh, that is no trick at all after
you are used to it. We take some
bacon, bread and coffee and our
blankets and have no trouble in
staying out as long as we like"
"Do broncs STAY with their mo-
hers all winter"
eyes, and often till they are two-
1t is no uncommon thing
0 see cow sucking a calf with a
zig yearling watching his little
'rother. When we find lot of
ows and broncs and calves we cut
nut the calves and while some of
he boys runs the cows off five or
tx miles, the other boys catch and 8
rand the calves, and then drive
hem eight or ten miles in an oppo-
lite direction. They will never get
ogether again, for the COWS will
ONE back to where they left their
alves and stay around there bawl- ,
ng for a week, when they give them
p for lost"
:" Is there any game on the /;
anges?" :
'There are plenty of jack rabbits :
nd cayotes, If you can call them ;
anne. AT this season the mule
eer are down on the plains. The
lst time | was out we ran across !
and of them, about seventy-five in :
lumber, all bucks. 1t was just a
fter breakfast. Our horses were =
1 frst-rate condition, and the deer. :
ad just come up from drinking at +
spring, their sides distended with
alter. We came over a rim rock
ght upon them. Away they went,
way we went after them, unsling-
* our carbines. We raced them !
n miles and every man in the
arty, except myself, killed deer" 9